Lib. 2. 
Of the Hiilojy of Plants. 
6i<; 
put out {mall fibres, and take root againe : the leaues grow at the ioyntsbTcou pies fomwhari^T 
gift, and round at the points, refembling thofe of Purilane, but much fmaller and ofa vello n 
greene colour : at the bofomes of the leaues come forth little fioures, which are f uccceded bv I r I 
round feed-veflels containing a fmall round feed. Btwhmc hath fet this forth by the name oLX! 
feilujlris minor folijs oblongis . 
1 2 The othervvater duckweed, which John Baubine hath mentioned by the name of Serpdlt 
foba ; and Coffer Bo, thine by the title of Alfinefaluflris minor Serf ill, folio, hath alfo weake and tender 
creeping branches lying fpred vpon the ground ■ fet with two narrow ftatp pointed leaues at each 
loynt, greene aboue, and ofa whitift colour below : at the fetting on of thefe leaues o- r0 w fmall 
veflels parted as it were into two, with a little creft on each fide, and in thefe is contained a verie 
imall feed. Both thefe may be found in watene places in July and Auguft, as betweene Clapham 
neat hand Touting, and betweene Kentifh towneand Hampftead. t 
i j This Plant that Clufms and others haue called Alfine refens major, and fome bane thought 
til eCiclamimes altera of Diofcondes ; and fucubdus of Pliny, may fitly be put in this rank'e • for it fen 
dethvp many long weake branches like the great Chickweed, fet with two leaues at a ioynt bm~ 
ger than thofe of the greateft duckweed, yet like them in ftape and colour: at the tops o'f the 
branches, out of pretty large cups come whitift greene fioures, which are fucceeded by berries as 
big as thofe of lumper, at firft greene, but afterwards blacke : the feed is fmall and fmooth ■ the 
root white, very fibrous, long and wooddy, and it endures for many yeares. It fioures moll part 
of Sommer, and growes wildein fundry places of Spaineand Germany, as alfo in Flanders and 
England, according to Pern and Label yet I haue not feene it growing but in the garden of mv 
friend Mb femble at Mambone. The Authors laft mentioned affirme the berries hereof to haue i 
poylonous facukie like as thofe of Dvvale or deadly Nightfhade. $ 
The Place, 
Chick-weeds, fome grow among buftes and briers, old walls, gutters of houfes , and fhadowie 
places. The places where the reft grow are fet forth in their feuerall defcriptions. 
The Time. 
The Chickweeds are greene in Winter, they floure and feed in the Spring. 
The Names. 
Chickweed or Chickcnvveed is called in Greeke aw« in Latine itretaineth the fame nam tAt- 
jinc : of fome of the Antients it is called H/ppta. The reft of the plants are diftinmufhed in their 
leuerall f ides, with proper names which likewife fettcth forth the place of their growings 
. 5 T The Temperature. 
Chickweed is cold and moift, and of a wateriflr fubftance s and therefore it cooleth without a- 
ltri6tionorbindmg,as Galen faith. 
The Vert ties. 
The leaues of C hickweed boyled in water very foft, adding thereto fome hogs greafe, the pon- 
der of Fenugreeke and Linefeed, and a tew roots of marft Mallowes,and damped to the forme of ' 
cataplafme or pulteffe, taketh away the dwellings of the legs or any other part • bringeth to fuppu- 
ration or matter hot apoftumes • diffolueth dwellings that wil not willingly yeeld to Amputation . 
eaieth members that are ftrunkevpicomforteth wounds in finewie parts • defendeth foule ma- 
Iigne and virulent vlcers from inflammation during the cure : in a word, it comforteth, digefteth 
dcrendcth 5 and fuppurateth very notably. 
be ba b thed a theremth d VinCgCr and falt are S ood a g ainft man g ines of the hands and legs, if they j 
Litt le birds in cadges (efpeciaily Linnets) are refrefted with the lefler Chickweed when they , 
loath their meat ; whereupon it was calledof fome Pajfcrina. 1 
Chap. 193. Of thebajlard Chicfveeeds. 
The Dcfcription. 
1 /T Ermander Chickweed hath fmall tender branches trailing vpon the ground, befet 
V T lvlt b leaues like vnto thofe of Scordmm, or Water Germander. Among which 
come forth little blew fioures : which being faded, there appeare fmall flat husks or 
pouches, wherein lieththefeed. The root is fmall and threddy ; which being once gottenintoa 
garden ground is hard to be deftroyed,but naturally commeth vp from yeare to yeare as a noifome 
